Musaso Primary School Here I Come!

"We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us"

~Winston Churchill~ 

The day I have been waiting for for months has finally come! A lot of my nerves were settled when a little ding came from my computer letting me know that I had new mail! We had been told that we were to receive our schools on Monday, December 10th so I incessantly was checking my email. Good thing I don't have a smartphone or I wouldn't have gotten anything done. The long awaited email came Wednesday morning before I headed to work! I wish someone had a camera hidden as I was trying to dry my hair, brush my teeth and figure out where in Namibia I would be calling home.
**WARNING: The following post is long and I am throwing a lot of detail at you. I will try to summarize it at the end.**

The school I will be shaping as it shapes me is known as Musaso Primary School. It is a hostel school that offers classes to children in grades 1-7. With it being a hostel school all the children live in dorms on the school grounds. There are about 270 students and 10 teachers on staff. I will be teaching pre-primary English (beginning grades) and 5th-7th Science. You are also looking at the new soccer coach :). Good thing I played for years but I am sure these kids are going to be teaching me a thing or 2 on and off the field. I will be living in teacher housing on school grounds. I am guaranteed a room but will be sharing my bathroom, kitchen, and any other living space with the other teachers. For all of you who have been worrying about my health; there is a health clinic at my school! I am guaranteed water; not worm and electricity; who knows how reliable.

The rural village that I live in is known as Omusaso/Otwani. If I could find pictures of it I would post it below but there isn't much information on the village I will be living in. It is located in Kunene, one of the 13 regions of Namibia. The Kunene region is in the Northwest part of Namibia towards the border of Angola.

 I am about 40 miles from Opuwo which is the capital of the Kunene region and has a population of about 5,000 people. It will only cost me about $4 to go from my home to Opuwo. Though small I will be able to find almost all of my essentials there. There is also a few hotels that will be nice to check out and go to for a break every once in a while. The hotels organize excursions that you can take part in which will be awesome to do! The area I am going to is very remote but has so much to offer and is rich in diversity. The Kunene Region represents "one of the last true wildernesses in Africa — and a rare opportunity to conserve a vast desert ecosystem and enhance its people’s quality of life". The weather is very diverse but mainly has 2 seasons; a rainy season and a dry season, much like Costa Rica. The temperatures can range from the 60s to the 110s. Just the way I like it; HOT! Sandstorms and  droughts are an occurrence here as well as torrential rains causing floods. Safaris are abundant and popular in this region. The Kunene Region has been deemed a wildlife conservation area as many animals roam freely. Just some of the gorgeous attractions are listed on this Website. The Epupa falls is almost as big as Victoria Falls and is right in my backyard! I am so excited to visit here!

Epupa Falls

The Kunene Region is home to many subsistence farmers from the 2 diverse tribes known as the Ovahimba and Hereo tribes. They both speak Otjiherero. These beautiful people are very diverse in their dress and ways of life. The Himba are nomadic and practice herding and farming. The women of the tribe wear little to no clothes and paint themselves with "a mixture of red ochre, butter and resin from the Omuzumba shrub. This paste is known as ‘otjize’ used as protection against the weather and a skin lotion". They wear braids which signify different meanings and jewelry to let them know how many children each woman has. 

Family is a very important concept to the Himba tribe.

Women from the Himba Tribe

The other tribe is the Herero Tribe. They are influenced heavily by the Western culture and this can be seen in how they dress. They are mostly hunter-and-gatherers. There is not much known of their origin. 

Herero Women

 Right now my feelings are mixed and a mess! They are about as together as my packing is...

Packed, unpacked, repacked... take things out. VICIOUS CYCLE!!

Folding method and vacuum bags all the way!

I will update more on the process and last minute things as the time comes. Feel free to ask questions because I am sure I am asking just as many!!

It's TIme For Africa!

As I write this my heart is pounding with excitement and anxiousness! With Namtunes station playing in the background I am getting hyped for what is ahead of me! We just finished our first webinar that was hosted by WorldTeach. This was a chance for us to talk to 2 girls that previously volunteered in Namibia and ask them any questions we had. They were very thorough and answered every single question that I was worried about. There were about 10 of us participating in the webinar. Each and every day I find that I am learning something new or accomplishing one more thing in order to prepare for my time apart. During the seminar I learned a whole lot of somethings new.

1. Don't buy or bring anything in bulk
• Namibia has more available than what people think. There will be stores in the capital and hopefully fairly close to our sites that we will be able to get things from.
2. Our main modes of transportation will be a Combie or hitchhiking
• Never be in a rush or have set travel plans as they will always be delayed.
3. Packing a sleeping bag for traveling and overnight stays is essential!
4. Living is really cheap. The stipend will be more than enough to get me through the year and maybe save a little extra.
5. It takes over 10 hours to get from Southern Namibia to Northern Namibia
• We could be placed that far from other volunteers. If that is the case, traveling will be taking up a lot of my time BUT I will become pro at it :)
6. Corporal punishment in the classroom is an everyday occurrence.
• I don't think I will be comfortable using corporal punishment so I will have to come up with new ways of dealing with bad behavior. 
• I bought incentive charts so hopefully positive reinforcement will do the trick.
7. Communication is going to be rough.
• internet is sort of a "pay as you go" idea. You buy MB and load them onto a device that gives you internet. 
• I will be able to chat but won't be able to do much with video or pictures.
• I am hoping that there will be internet cafes in the city that I will be able to get internet that will be cheaper and faster.

There was a lot more that was relayed but for now those are the ones I am focusing on. It is crazy to think that Thanksgiving is here and Christmas is just right around the corner. Usually these are glorious holidays and still are but this year they bring a whole new feeling. The feeling that my time here in the U.S. is counting down even more rapidly.

My shots are complete, prescriptions are filled, suitcases are beginning to be packed and the occasional tears are beginning to escape.

Happy a Happy Thanksgiving!

Are you ready?

I have heard this question more times than I can count in the past few weeks; are you ready? I don't know how to answer that question. Am I ready? Am I ready for a year without my family and friends; a year without "normal"; a year full of challenges that I can't even imagine. Am I ready? I don't think I will ever be fully ready to leave what is familiar to me. The friendships and bonds that I have formed since coming home are making it that much harder to leave in December. As time winds down, 54 days, I try to push the feelings away more. I think writing this is the first time I have started to tear up thinking about the impending departure. I am as ready as I am going to be. My paperwork is submitted for my visa and it is in the midst of being processed. Almost all the clothes I will need are bought. I have my short-wave radio (thanks dad) to bring down with me as well as my snake bite kit :). Save for a list that my amazon-crazy dad compiled I have everything checked off. With the storm that just hit I had to re-schedule my vaccinations but in 2 weeks those will be done! My flight, as mentioned in my previous post, is booked. I go into the city on the 29th for a pre-departure orientation and then fly out on the 30th. I have friended a few girls on facebook that will be heading over to Namibia with me. It is nice to start bouncing ideas, feelings, and worries off other people who are in the same boat as I am. These are the girls that will become my support and family for the next year and beyond.
Namibia will be a whole new, fresh, clean slate for me to discover who I am. I think I am going to come back with a completely different perspective on life and I am so excited to discover what that is. I am going to grow and change in ways I never thought I could!
I am starting to think through packing and making many lists; I LOVE lists :D I will begin to seriously pack after Thanksgiving so it gives me time to weed through things and pack what I really need/want. It is a year people, A YEAR!!, imagine all the things you use in a year and try packing those in a suitcase :). It will definitely be interesting and I will be sure to post pictures of my overflowing suitcases. For now, I am working and enjoying my last couple days on Long Island.

I'll be in the sky

SO! My flight is booked! This milestone brought a bunch of mixed feelings. Excitement, nervousness, and the feeling that I have so much that I want to do before I leave. If I think about it too much I start getting this knot in my stomach and a huge rush of emotions. I have made good friends and have been able to spend time with my family since graduating and it is making it that much harder to think that I am leaving all that for a year. But then I think of all the smiling faces that will greet me each day and the impact I will be having and think that a year isn't that bad.
My flight is booked for December 30th. I leave Long Island to head into the city for a pre-departure orientation on the 29th and leave the 30th at 10:40 am. I have a layover in Johannesburg South African and then arrive in Namibia at 11:30 am December 31st. It is going to be a long day of travel and I will be so thankful to arrive in Windhoek and pass out in the hostel. I have many more updates to write about but I have to head out to get ready for work. I just figured I would share this BREAKING NEWS before I leave.

I'll Be Rising From the Ground

A friend of mine recently said that making a name for yourself is imporant; putting yourself out there and becoming known is half the battle. In the next year I will have many names and title. To some I will be a co-worker, to others a friend, teacher, family and advisor. I will be a coach to my students and learning from them as well. Having Worldwide fame is something but being known by those whoes life you are impacting is everything! So as I leave NY I will be leaving behind my familiarity, my family, my friends, and my role as a daughter, friend, sister. I will travel thousands of miles to the other side of the World and make a new life and name for myself. Don't get me wrong; I will still be those things butI will become so much more. It is scary and exciting all at the same time. No one will know me there and I will be rising from the ground...a clean slate but then I stop and think about it; NO ONE will know me there. I won't have a support system like I do at home or a shoulder to cry on when times get rough. My co workers will become that support and breath of fresh air but it won't be like the comforts of home. It will be an adjustment but I am more than ready to embrace it head on.

I recently got my departure date! That made it all the more real! I will be going in to NYC on December 29th for a pre-departure orientation. WorldTeach is providing a hotel for us to stay in that first night. We will be able to meet everyone from our program as well as adjust to the realization that we are leaving for a year. On December 30th we take off at 10:40AM and arrive in Windhoek Namibia on DEcember 31st around 12 noon. It is going to be a really long day of traveling. We are going on South African airlines and traveling via Johannesburg, South Africa. The countdown is down to 73 days and those days are going to fly! Time to get my butt in gear and finish up last minute preparations!

How it all began

The saying "Man plans and God laughs" definitely applies to how I ended up going to Africa. At the beginning of my senior year of college I had no idea where I was headed after graduation. There was the possibility of having a steady job, being married, going to grad school, heading to Argentina for a year or moving back home to figure out what in the World I was supposed to be doing. Africa wasn't even in the picture. Slowly my options, or what I thought to be my options, were crossed off. I definitely wasn't going to be staying at the job that offered me full time. I had decided that law wasn't the path I wanted to take after graduation and marriage was taken out of the picture. I wasn't panicking yet; there was still time. After a visit to see my brother I was almost sold and thought that attending Bible college for a year in Argentina was going to be my next stop. At about this same time talk of being accepted into Grad School came about as well. I still didn't feel that God was leading me strongly in either direction so I continued to look at different possibilities. A girl that I had met and friended was in Africa at this point and I asked her which program she was going through; she mentioned WorldTeach. I looked into the possibility of working with them and started to gather information on how and what it entailed. Living, working, and moving abroad is definitely not something that can be done last minute; even though I thought I could. I wasn't getting any closer to narrowing down what I would be doing after graduation and the months were still ticking. In February/March I began the application process for all three options. I submitted my application for Argetntina, wrote up all my essays and received all my reccommendations for Graduate School, and submitted all my paperwork for Africa and began to pray. I probably didn't do it the best way. I kind of put those three options out there and whichever one followed through I would pursue full speed. Each of them answered, but in their own time.

I hadn't really been hearing back from Argentina and I didn't feel like God was calling me in that direction. I have been questioned a lot as to why I didn't decide on a Spanish speaking country. I have a bachelors in Spanish, I have a father who speaks Spanish and work in a Spanish restaurant. I own books, videos and music in Spanish. I lived in Costa Rica for a year and still speak it fluently. Will I forget a few words? sure but I even found myself forgetting a few words of English after living abroad and coming back. But for me, it's like riding a bike. You never forget the language, I'll just have to remember the motions. Plus. the Latin American countries that I could have gone to didn't offer the opportunities to help that I have in Africa. In Namibia there is a HUGE need and I have a HUGE desire to try to meet as many needs as possible. So, needless to say, Argentina was out of the picture. My mom knows me so well, she called that one from the start because I didn't pursue it as diligently as I did Africa and grad school.

I had heard back from WorldTeach almost instantly. They wanted me to take part in a phone interview and send in a few recommendation letters. I scheduled it as soon as possible and submitted the letters right away. They informed me that because of my credentials and interview that they wanted to expedite my application and send me to work as soon as I graduated. I originally was scheduled to leave and start work the first week in June 2011. I definitely believed that I would be able to pull that off; yea right! But I'll get back to that decision.

I graduated college a year early. At Towson I was given a hefty scholarship for four years. Since I ahd graduated early I wanted to figure out some way to get my last year of my scholarship. Who wants to leave free money sitting around?! I was convinced that I could start Grad School while in Africa and have my scholarship pay for school and my student loans pay for my time abroad. I made myself crazy trying to figure out all of these classes and independent studies. It would have worked out that my first year of grad school would have cost me less than $5,000 with my scholarship; they agreed to give me my last year of my scholarship to go towards my Grad degree. I was set! I was accepted into the Masters of Social Science (Global Analysis Track) program, my scholarship was already applied and I was accepted and confirmed for Africa. I had my timeline set and God was probably just laughing at me. Graduation in May, Namibia in June and Grad School/Namibia for the year. I even went as far as to check to make sure I would have wi fi where I would be or at least an internet cafe within a bus ride. Do you know how crazy I would be to do that?! I finally realized it. I called WorldTeach to see if I could defer my departure until the next group left, which would be in December 2012. They agreed to that but! Originally I was only going for 6 months if I left in June. With this defferment I agreed to sign on for a year :). After prayer and list making, I decided that would be the best for me. I will be able to do so much more in a year and be there for my students the entire time. The summer finished out and it came time for me to head to MD to start grad school. After making more pros and cons lists; I love lists!; and thinking through what I had ahead of me I decided to not enroll for grad school this coming year and defer my enrollment until Spring 2014; I will be able to be accepted then. But, Towson isn't even where I want to receive my Masters so that worked out. There were way too many more cons than pros.

"Why Africa?" I have received this question so many times and all I can say is, "Why not?!". There were so many countries that were laid out for me to work in but my heart was set on Africa. Each position had different responsibilities and focus. Namibia has a focus on HIV/AIDs and teaching around the country. Namibia has a high death rate as a result of HIV/AIDs. Many contract the disease and do not even know how to prevent it. My job will be to come up with programs to educate them on the disease and teach them ways to not catch it. I have such a heart for the children of Africa. I am not going there with the expectation of changing the lives of an entire village but if I can go and help one child receive a better eduation and show love to the lost than my time there will be more than worth it. My students will be the leaders of tomorrow in Africa and God knows that Africa could use some help. I am well aware of the trials and hardships that I will be facing. Believe me I have read a lot of experiences of people who are there now and it isn't going to be all smiles and happy days. It will definitely be a challenge and stretch me more than I have ever been stretched before but I am so ready and willing to be used in any way possible. No one ever made a difference by sitting on their behinds doing nothing; this is my chance to help make a difference and as Nelson Mandela put it

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

 

Coming All Together

The fact that I will be in Africa in a little less than 3 months is really starting to sink in. It makes me more and more excited each passing day. Excitement, nervousness, anticipation are just a few words to describe what is going on in my head! Looking back a year ago I never thought that I would be here, getting ready to work abroad. It is crazy how everything just fell into place and has worked out. Maybe crazy isn't the right word; God's plan and perfect timing seems more fit; but that is for a different post. Things have definitely started falling into place. I haven't reached my financial goal yet but I am more than halfway there which is a huge relief. Jobs and opportunities have been coming my way and I am taking every one that I can :D. It seems that when I start to worry about raising money or gathering enough things that another opportunity pops up. So as far as updates go....

I am halfway to my financial goal and still have 3 months to gather the rest of the money! That wouldn't have been possible without the wonderful donations I have received thus far.

I am patiently waiting on the approval for me to observe ESL classes in Patchogue-Medford HS. While in Africa I will be receiving my TEFL certification (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and in order to do so I need to complete a few steps before. The paper work is in for me to observe; I am just waiting on the response. When I went to the HS to talk to a couple of my previous teachers they were more than enthused about the opportunity that I have and are giving me the chance to help teach some of their classes! This will give me hands on experience and so many ideas as to how to conduct my own classes.

I am very determined to raise enough money and gather enough supplies to start and maintain a library in the school that I will be teaching at. So in my efforts to start to gather supplies and necessities of a library I went down to my town's library and asked if there was a way they could help. I spoke to the Assistant Administrator and she said that any books that were donated that I was able to use! I told her what types of books I was looking for and she has already started looking for books for me as well as setting aside many that I can use. Savers near me has also said that I could take 40+ books if they have them available for free!! These books are more than an amazing start to the library. Now all that is left to do is figure out how to take all of them down with me. If anyone has any ideas as to a company or an organization that could help with the cost of shipping the books to Africa please let me know! I am open to any ideas or suggestions!! Trust me, no idea is silly!

All my paperwork for a visa is being processed and completed. Once my background check is sent I will be ready to start the long journey to receiving my visa to live and work in Namibia.

Shots: a terrible invention that will help in the long run. Thank God all of my necessary shots are up to date. There actually aren't any required shots to get in to Namibia but definitely precautionary ones. Thankfully I only have yellow fever to get and that is because I want to travel to Angola while down there.

Those are all the updates for now. Each day is a step closer to having everything together and a day closer to being there!! 

FLYER FOR FUNDRAISER

This is the flyer I made for the fundraiser. I scanned it in so that it would be easier for those attending the fundraiser to print out. You can save and print it and bring it with you when you come dine on some delicious food. Gallo has a variety of food from Chicken dishes and sandwiches to typical Colombian food and seafood dishes. You can't go wrong with anything you order and can make modifications if desired!! Here is the website you can go to to check out the menu: http://www.gallotropical.com/diningmenu.htm.

NOM NOM for NAMIBIA Fundraiser

BENEFITING:

WorldTeach and Ashley Willoughby’s

Year in Namibia

WHAT’S THE DEAL?

Gallo Restaurant has agreed to donate 15% of every check towards WorldTeach and the efforts of Ashley Willoughby in Africa.

WHAT TO DO:

Present this flyer the 2^nd week in October (7^th-13^th) when you dine at Gallo Restaurant. Enjoy an amazing meal while you help out a great cause!

WHERE TO DO IT:

Gallo Restaurant located at:

3 East Main Street

Patchogue, NY 11772

                                                                                     

Thinking, thinking, thinking

So as the countdown reaches to almost 3 months before I leave things are starting to become extremely real and all I can think about is everything I want to do with these children down in Namibia. We are encouraged to write up grants and receive money in order to fund a project while we are down there. I have been starting to brainstorm ideas and contact some places to see if they would sponsor something. So far, I haven't heard back but it is hard to ask for a grant when I don't really know what the need of my individual school is going to be. I am hoping to receive enough money to begin a library that is fitted with tape players so they can listen to books on tape. I found an organization that will send calculators to universities in need! Once I get down there and see which subjects I am teaching this organization will be very helpful. School supplies in Africa are very scarce. Many students don't even have a pen to use so for me to be able to give them a calculator would be such an amazing thing.
 If anyone has children's books or books on tape they are looking to get rid of let me know. I will be more than willing to take those off your hands :). Another source of reading that I am thinking about bringing with me are magazines. I am told that Namibians love the pop culture in America. They listen to our songs and know many of our famous actors and actresses. I am asking if you guys could help me collect magazines. If you work at a Dr. office or subscribe to a magazine that you throw out each month I would love to take them when you are done! Not only will the be awesome reading material but I can do different lessons and crafts with them. Such as cutting out pictures and letters for the students to make an "about me" poster.
I will be posting and sending out a flyer by this weekend that will have the details about a fundraiser the first week in October. The restaurant that I work at is helping as much as they can to receive the funds I need. There will be dates and information on the flyer. I hope you all have appetites the first week in October :)
Things have been coming together quickly. I really only have my visa paper work to finish and a physical to get done and I am physically prepared for Africa. This takes a lot of pressure off and allows me to focus on what I need to do. I have been blessed with many words of encouragement and support and I thank you all! Sorry if my posts seem scattered, my thoughts and ideas are going in a million different directions as there is so much to do before I leave. Namibia is on the brain :)

But for now all I can do is pray and trust that everything I need for my year in Namibia will come through.

Proverbs 3:5-6
      "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on thine own understandings. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths."

Letters, Letters, Letters

Here is a copy of the letter I sent out to a few people. It is a little better of a description and a background to the Organization I am going with:

Dear family and friends,

Starting in December I will have the wonderful opportunity of working and living in Namibia, Africa. Where in the World is Namibia, you might ask. It is a country of about 2.1 million people located on the west coast of Africa, just north of South Africa (See map below). It recently gained its independence from South Africa in 1990 after a constitution was drawn up and Sam Nujoma was sworn in as the first President. Namibia is a Christian country that is rattled by HIV/AIDs, poverty, unemployment and death. Due to the years of Apartheid and its ties to South Africa, the peaceful country has had to slowly rebuild its education system; that is where I come in. I have been accepted as a volunteer to teach through a non- profit, non-governmental organization known as WorldTeach.

WorldTeach was founded in 1986 with its primary mission being to recruit and support volunteers to serve as teachers alongside the Ministries of Education in developing countries. Their primary targets are underserved populations that are in desperate need, such as Namibia. Over 4,000 volunteers have served with WorldTeach since its start as a group of Harvard students.  Although some Ministries of Education pay all the expenses needed by a volunteer, Namibia is not one of them. Due to its unstable economy and lack of funds volunteers are asked to put forth money in order to pay for flights, housing, visas, and shots.

I will be embarking on my journey to Namibia between Christmas and New Years of this year. In Namibia I will undergo a month long orientation where I will learn to adjust to life, the food, and teaching in a foreign country. It will also involve TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and language classes to learn the local dialect of where we will be living. After that month I will then be sent to my “home”. This could range from the bush (middle of nowhere) to a city on the coast. We put in our preferences but are not told until 2 months out. Most placements, however, are in rural areas where resources are minimal. I am praying that I will be placed in a school affiliated with a church. There are a few and I have spoke to the program and submitted a request to be placed in the Christian School. If this is to occur I will be responsible for devotions every morning before classes start J. As a teacher in Namibia I will be expected to be very versatile. I will be teaching subjects ranging from Math to Science to Computers to Arts and Music. Extracurricular activities are built into their daily schedules so as a result I can also be a coach, a construction worker, an advisor for student government and many other roles. Needless to say I will be stretching my skills and learning things as I go. I will be living in government housing with other volunteers and local teachers; which is covered by the money we have to contribute.

This opportunity to give as well as help shape the lives of many of the less fortunate children and families means a lot to me. It will give me an unforgettable experience and opportunity to show God’s love. Volunteering, however, comes with a price and that is about $6,000 for the year. This money will cover my placement, training, air travel, insurance and field support for the duration of my stay. I have been working to raise money through jobs and hopefully a fundraiser in the fall. I also need you to join me on my journey to Namibia, Africa. A donation from you would contribute greatly to the goal I need to reach. I will be using a Blog to track my time there and will hopefully update it as much as I can; who knows how internet is going to be. I also have your address so I will be sending out letters and postcards of my adventures so you can really come with me on my journey. Please don’t feel obligated to donate but do keep me in your prayers as I prepare to undergo this next chapter in my life.

DANKIE, (thank you in Afrikaans)

And We're Off....

Ever since my summer job ended I have had more time to begin planning and really thinking through what I need to do before I leave. I have been shopping and getting together things to bring with me to decorate my classroom. I feel like a kid in a candy store as I pick out stickers and lesson planners as well as birthday badges :) (If anyone has school supplies they need to get rid of or would love to donate you can send them this way :) ). I have bought games, like jenga, to use in my classroom for learning games. I have a puzzle of the U.S. and a World Map that my students will put together and decorate in order to hang in our classroom. I have submitted my request form as to where I would like to be placed. I will be living in either a Large town, small town or large village. I will not know for a couple weeks before I leave to head over there. I think that is the worst part; waiting. I have personally called and requested to be placed in a school affiliated with a Church. There are a couple that I know of down there. With the request form I have put in for certain subjects to teach. They are as followed: English, Math (different levels), applied science, art/music, computers, geography, Grammar and other Liberal Arts type classes. I have a binder full of lesson plan ideas that they sent to us. I am sure I will have stories as I struggle to teach science haha. I am open to any suggestions on teaching science. I'll be more specific as I learn which science and classes exactly.
Volunteering isn't free and as much as I wish I could pack up and leave without having to worry about the finances, that isn't an option. For the year I need about $6,000 minimum. I have been working all summer to earn the money but haven't reached my goal yet so that has been my main focus recently. I am currently juggling three jobs and taking any opportunity thrown my way. Between lifeguarding, waitressing, and planning events at a community my schedule is pretty full but I'm loving it. I have written letters and sent them out as well. Fundraisers are coming up in October to help alleviate some of the cost as well. The restaurant I work at, Gallo, has agreed to help. I will be making up flyers to hand out to people. If you receive a flyer and go eat at Gallo, 10% of your total check will be given back to me to help with projects over in Namibia. SO! Everyone come hungry to Gallo the first week in October! There will be more information and a pic of the flyer to come :). I have a lot more to update but will get to that later! Six Flags tomorrow morning, so I have to head to bed!

The Beginning

Hey! So, I am usually terrible at blogging but I am going to try my hardest to keep up with it this time overseas.  This blog took me forever to create; I am definitely not the artistic or tech savvy type. I will be making updates as time goes on. I am not due to leave for Namibia until after Christmas but the preparation and events leading up to my departure is just as important. I have letters to write, money to raise, shots to get, visas to be approved, and of course WHAT TO PACK?! Feel free to leave ideas as to what to bring to Namibia for a year.